Solid patch knitting machine



y 5.8 H. E. CRAWFORD 2,833,133

sbLIn PATCH KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 11', 1955 v- 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Y Y L o o 0 :14 Y 115 "6 O I73 n94. 3 I20 '57 13s I l 19; I III i m 134 28! m4, J ms n 24,1 II I INVENTORI HERMAN E. CRAWFORD.

BY mw bdn,

ATTORNEYS.

y 6, 1958 H. E. CRAWFORD 4 2,833,133

SOLID PATCH KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1955 e Sheets-Sheet z [1/ I/III/I/I 111/ I INVENTORZ L HERMAN E. CRAWFORD. :0

ATTORNEYS.

y 1958 H. CRAWFORD 2,833,133

SOLID PATCH KNITTING meg-gm:

Filed April 11, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 INVENTORZ HERMAN E. CRAWFORD.

l E BY wm=kbeud ATTORNEYS.

y 1958 H. E. CRAWFORD 2,833,133

SOLID PATCH KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 III INVENTOR.

HERMAN E. CRAWFORD.

BY Qua fawn A TTORNEYS.

May 6, 1958 H. E. CRAWFORD SOLID PATCH KNITTING mcnm:

Filed April 11., 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS y 6, 1958 H. E. CRAWFORD 2,833,133

soup PATCH-KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1955 I 6 Sheets-Sheet e H. J -w ATTOR YS.

SOLID PATCH KNITTING MACHINE Herman E. Crawford, Kemersville, N. C., assignor to H. E. Crawford Company, Incorporated, Kernersville, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application April 11, 1955, Serial No. 500,331 Claims. (Cl. 66-48) This invention relates to circular independent needle the type disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial.

Number 192,935, filed October 30, 1950 and entitled Knitting Machine, now Patent No. 2,757,526, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part. The latter co-pending application is, in turn, a continuationin-part of my co-pending application, Serial Number 118,964, filed September 30, 1949 and entitled Knitting Machine and Method of Knitting Hosiery and, Other Fabrics.

It is an object of this invention to provide a circular knitting machine of the type having a needle cylinder provided with a circular series of needles and individual jacks for the needles and also having a selector mechanism for selecting the various jacks to render selected needles active and inactive, in combination with a means for shogging the needle cylinder 'at predetermined intervals and other means for controlling the actuation of a pair of widening picks and a pair of narrowing picks in such a manner as to increase the flexibility of the pattern forming mechanisms far beyond the capabilities of the machines disclosed in said co-pending applications.

For example, in the co-pending applications the absence of individually controlled selector jacks for the needles has required'that each pattern area or patch be knitted by widening or narrowing to a point in which from one to five needles would remain in action preparatory to knitting a succeeding area or patch below the previously knit area or patch. The improvement on the other hand facilitates the widening, for example, in knitting a given patch, down to a predetermined course, and, in knitting a patch immediately beneath said given patch, the number of needles may be substantially less in action in knitting the first course than the number of active needles in the'last course of the prior patch. Thus, a triangularly-shaped area may be knit with its pointed end facing upwardly and an immediately succeeding triangularly shaped area, with its pointed end also facing upwardly, may also be knit.

This is also true with respect to the narrowing in knitting a particular area; that is, a number of courses could be knit wherein the number of stitches in each successive course would be reduced and the area could be knit down to where only one or two needles remain active after which a substantially greater number of needles may again be brought into action for knitting a succeeding triangularly-shaped area immediately beeath the first narrowed area so the pointed ends of r 1 2,833,133 ,Patented May 6, 1 958 knitting macine, of the type having means to shog the.

needle cylinder, with means for selectively bringingany desired number of needles into action in forming the first course in any desired area or patch regardlessof whether the fabricis widened or narrowed in succeeding courses. To this end, a selector drum, selector jacks and a jack advancing cam are utilized.

Some of the objects of the invention having been I stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a knitting machine of .the character described embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation looking substantially along line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially along line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along line 4-4 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the needle cylinder showing the arrangement of the butts on the latch needles somewhat schematically;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the needle and jack controlling cams and the selector fingers for the jacks, this being a developed view of the parts taken as though looking outwardly from the needle cylinder;

Figure 7 (sheet 2) is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 7--7 in Figure 4;

Figure 8 is an elevation showing one side of a mens half-hose such as may be knit on the present machine;

Figure 9 is a developed view of the legportion of the stocking shown in Figure 8;

Figures 10 and 11 are views of other types of patterns which may be knit on the present machine as embodied in mens hose, these patterns being formed by the same basic pattern arrangements as are used in forming the hose shown in Figures 8 and 9 with the exception of the yarn changes.

General synopsis of invention Generally, the present invention involves the application of many of the features peculiar to my co-pending applications, Serial Numbers 118,964 and 192,935 and to a circular knitting machine having selector controlled independent jacks for the needles, the latter machine being of the type known as a Scott & Williams Model H circular knitting machine, to thereby produce a knitting machine having a greater flexibility insofar as patterning is concerned than that of the machines disclosed in said co-pending applications and also having a greater flexibility than other knitting machines currently in use.

The present machine employs conventional types of driving and clutch mechanisms which are usual parts of a Scott & Williams Model HH machine and such as are disclosed in a patent to R. W. Scott, No. 1,152,850 of September 7, 1915, these conventional driving and clutch mechanisms serving in the usual manner to shift from rotary to reciprocatory knitting and vice versa. A conventional type of needle cylinder, having the usual latch needles, needle jacks and selector jacks which move in individual slots in the periphery of the needle cylinder, is provided. The needle cylinder, needles, needle jacks, selector jacks and the selector means for the jacks are all of substantially the type disclosed in a patent tov Grothey, No. 2,050,946 and a patent to Haddad, No. 2,516,697.

Also the usual type of sinker head is employed having conventional sinkers therein which are controlled by conventional cams in a'sinker cap associated therewith. .The present machine also includes a top or first auxiliary pattern drum, also termed a needle cam control pattern drum, which may be driven in a step-by-step manner in identicallythe manner described in said co-pending applications. Also, a clutch mechanism of the type disclosed in said copending applications is employed for shogging the needle cylinder at predetermined intervals according to a predetermined pattern. The elastic and inelastic yarn feeding, clamping and cutting means may also be identical to that disclosed in either of said co-pending applications and is shown in this instance, as being substantially of the type disclosed in the co-pending application, Serial Numbe: 118,964. I

The actual novelty of the present invention lies in the provision of a novel arrangement of needle cams around the needle cylinder (Figure 6) and in novel means for driving the selector drum which controls the selector jacks. Accordingly, only a general description will be given of other parts of the machine associated with the present invention and the function of the knitting instrumentalities will be described with particular reference to the stocking or mens half-hose shown in Figures 8 and 9.

The knitting machine comprises a frame base which supports an upright frame broadly designated at 101 including a pair of spaced uprights 102, 103 and a side deck or auxiliary bed plate 104. Suitably secured to and projecting outwardly from the side deck 104 is a lower bed plate or selector jack cam supporting bed plate 105 in which the lower end of a conventional needle cylinder 106 is rotatably mounted, the needle cylinder 106 being driven by a beveled gear 107 (Figure l) in the usual manner. A shogging mechanism broadly designated at 110 is provided for shogging the needle cylinder 106 at predetermined intervals. The shogging mechanism 110 is fully shown and described in said co-pending applications and a detailed description thereof is thus deemed unnecessary. It might be stated, however, that the shogging mechanism 110 functions to shog the needle cylinder so as to cause the centers of selected groups of needles carried thereby to move equi-distant past the knitting station during reciprocatory knitting.

Spaced above the lower selector-cam-supporting bed plate 105 is an upper bed plate 111 or needle cam supporting bed plate 111. Gear 107 drives the conventional needle cylinder 106 which extends upwardly and loosely penetrates the upper bed plate 111 and has a conventional sinker head 113 mounted thereon in a conventional I manner. A latch ring 114 is spaced closely above the sinker head 113, the rear end of the latch ring 114 being pivoted at 115 on the upper end of a post 116 carried by the upper bed plate 111 (Figure l). The'rear portion of latch ring 114 has a plurality of conventional yarn feed fingers generally designed at F pivotally mounted therein.

Individual inelastic yarns generally designated at Y are guided from corresponding yarn sources 120 to the yarn feed fingers F, a suitable tensioning means generally designated at 121 being interposed between each yarn source 120 and the corresponding yarn feed fingers F. Spaced in advance of the yarn feed fingers F is an elastic yarn feed finger R (Figure 6) for feeding an elastic yarn from a suitable source, not shown, to the needle cylinder during the knitting of the top of a stocking such as those shown in Figures 8, l0 and 11.

The needle cylinder 106 carries a circular series of vertically movable latch needles generally designated at N (Figures 5 and 6). The needles N cooperate with conventional sinkers, not shown, in the sinker head 113 to draw stitches in the usual manner. Each of the needles N has a conventional needle jack 1 therebeneath and, disposed beneath each needle jack J is a conventional selector jack 125. The selector jacks 125 are of the usual rocking type such as are shown in the patent to Grothey,

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4 No. 2,411,422 of November 19, 1946 and which are also substantially as shown in the patent to Grothey, No. 2,050,946 of August 11, 1936. Each of the selector jacks 125 (Figure 6) has an outwardly projecting portion or butt 126 at its upper end which forms a recessed portion 127 immediately 'therebeneath.

Below the recessed portion 127 is a plurality of butts 130 which may be broken away for pattern purposes. The lower end of each of the selector jacks 125 has outwardly projecting hooked shoulders 131 and 132 thereon and these shoulders 131, 132 are caused to engage or not to engage a selector jack cam 133 to be elevated thereby according to the pattern arranged in a selector drum or trick wheel generally designated at 134. The cam 133 is suitably secured to and supported by the lower bed plate 105. The jacks 125 are of the usual type having a rocking point 135 on their backs and it is thus seen that, by moving either the upper or lower ends of the jacks 125 inwardly, the opposite ends of the jacks will be caused to move outwardly.

The knitting machine is equipped with a main pattern drum (Figure '1), a yarn feed pattern drum 141, a first or top auxiliary pattern drum or needle cam control pattern drum 142 (Figures 2 and 3) and a second or lower auxiliary pattern drum 143 (Figure 1). It will be observed in Figure 1 that the main pattern drum 140 and the lower auxiliary pattern drum 143 are disposed at one side of the machine adjacent the upright 102 of the cast frame 101 and the striper or yarn feed pattern drum 141 is disposed rearwardly of and slightly below the level of the lower bed plate 105. The first or top auxiliary pattern drum 1421s suitably supported for rotation about a substantially vertical axis on the side deck 104 (Figures 2, 3 and 4).

All of the pattern drums heretofore described may be supported and driven in substantially the same manner as that of corresponding pattern drums in said co-pending application, Serial Number 118,964 and, therefore, a further description thereof is deemed unnecessary. As disclosed in said copending application, the yarn feed fingers F in the present application may be controlled alternately by the main pattern drum 140 and the yarn feed pattern drum 141 in any predetermined sequence.

Needle and jack controlling instrumentalities As heretofore stated, the novelty of the present invention resides particularly in the arrangement of the needle cams (Figures 4 and 6) in combination with the selector jacks and the selector means therefor, including the selector drum or trick wheel 134. However, many ofthe needle controlling instrumentalities, including the needle cams in the present application, may be identical to those disclosed in said copending applications and, accordingly, those needle cams and other needle controlling instrumentalities which are substantially the same as disclosed in either of the said co-pending applications will be only briefly described and their function will be pointed up, since reference may be had to either of said co-pending applications for a further disclosure of the structure and means for operating any needle cams corresponding to those described in either of said co pending applications.

As is usual, the needle cams surround the central portion of the needle cylinder 106 and are carried by the upper bed plate 111. A conventional cam cylinder or ring (Figure 6) surrounds the needle cylinder 106 and is spaced therefrom so that various cam members, to be presently described, may be secured to the inner surface thereof with the proximal surfaces of said cam members being disposed in close proximity to the needle cylinder 106. Suitably secured to the inner surface of the cam cylinder or ring 150 is a jack guide ring 151.

The jack guide ring 151 is made from a plurality of segmental portions indicated at 151a to 151e reading from right to left in Figure 6 The lower proximal portions of the segments 151a, 151b of the jack guide ring 151 are cut away to form an inverted substantially V-shaped opening therein which is spaced immediately above the jack advancing cam 133. The opening defined between the jack guide ring segments 151a, 151b is provided to accommodate the butts of any needle jacks I which are raised by non-selected selector jacks 125, after which the butts of the needle jacks engage the right-hand surface of the jack guide ring segment 1511b and are moved downwardly thereby to return the corresponding selector jacks 125 to their original level. Of course, any needles N which are thus raised by the jacks I remain in elevated position until they are returned to lowered or operative position by certain of the needle cams to be later described.

Disposed subsequent to the vertical plane of the jack advancing cam 133 and at a point at the rear of the knitting machine is a pair of conventional hardened cams 153, 154 which, together, form a broad V-shaped opening from which the sloping upper surfaces 155, 156 of the hardened cams 153, 154 lead in opposite directions to return the butts of any needles, which may be passed into said opening during the knitting operation, to a mean horizontal plane. Mounted on the needle cam plate or upper bed plate 111 in a conventional manner and disposed centrally of the opening defined by the surfaces 155, 156 on the hardened cams 153, 154, is a conventional top center cam 157 and a conventional bottom center cam 158 which are disposed in vertically spaced relationship to permit the butts of needles to pass therebetween during a knitting operation.

Conventional right-hand and left-hand stitch cams 160, 161 are disposed adjacent opposite sides of the top and bottom center cams 157, 156, respectively. The set of stitch cams 157, 158, 160, 161 collectively define a knitting station and, of course, these cams are disposed below the inelastic or main yarn feed station as embodied inthe yarn feed fingers F. The stitch cams 160, 161 have respective narrowing picks 162, 163 in association therewith which function in the usual manner to pick needles up out of action during reciprocatory knitting.

The narrowing picks 162, 163 may be of conventional construction and are shown in this instance as being of the type discolsed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 477,977, filedDecember 28, 1954 and entitled Widening and Narrowing Means for Circular Knitting Machines. The narrowing picks disclosed in the lastnamed co-pending application are of a variable capacity type; that is, either one or two needles may be picked up by each of the narrowing picks with rotation of the needle cylinder in either direction. The left-hand narrowing pick may be rendered inoperative at predetermined intervals, according to a predetermined pattern, all of which is fully shown and described in said last named co-pending application. Accordingly, a description of the construction of the narrowing picks 162, 163 and the means for operating the same is deemed unnecessary.

The narrowing picks 162, 163 operate in a conventional manner during reciprocatory knitting of the heel and toe portions of a stocking and they also operate during the knitting of the ornamental pattern portion of a stocking wherein reciprocatry knitting is involved. Of course, since the narrowing picks 162, 163 are of the variable capacity type discolsed in said co-pending application, Serial Number 477,977, it should be noted that either one or two needles may be picked up by the corresponding narrrowing pick with movement of the needle cylinder in a corresponding direction or both of the narrowing picks may be rendered inactive.

A pair of needle leveling cams 165, 166 straddles the stitch cams, the upper surfaces of the leveling cams 165, 166 being disposed above the level of the-top center cam 157. These leveling cams 165, 166 are also disposed at such a level that the latches of any of the needles elevated thereby-are disposed above the level at which the inelastic yarn is fed by any of the yarn feed fingers F disposed in operative or lowered position.

All of the needle cams thus far described are stationary cams and are suitably supported by the upper bed plate 111. The needle leveling cam 166 is substantially the same as the reverse needle leveling cam l07l disposed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 118,964 and the needle leveling cam is peculiar to the present invention.

Disposed at the front of the machine is a pair of needle lowering or widening picks 170, 171 which are constructed in, and may be selectively controlled in, the identical manner disclosed in said co-pending application, Serial Number 118,964. The widening picks 170, 171 are spaced equi-distant from the center of the stitch cams and, when they are disposed in operating position closely adjacent the needle cylinder, the working or operating ends of these widening picks are disposed closely adjacent the proximal lower edges of respective right-hand and left-hand widening pick feed cams 172,

The widening pick feed cams 172, 173 are provided to alternately lower certain groups of selected needles, which groups are selected by the shogging of the needle cylinder as is clearly described in said last-named copending application. More specifically, the widening pick feed cams 172, 173 alternately lower groups of needles so the leading two needles in each group will move into engagement with the corresponding widening picks 170, 171 and will then-be projected to a substantially lower elevation, as shown in Figure 6, sothese first two needles, along with any other needles previously lowered to this elevation in the same manner, may pass through the stitch cams for knitting on these particular needles while the remaining needles continue to move in substantially the same horizontal plane as they had previously been moving, above the top center cam 157.

Although the widening pick feed cams 172, 173 are mounted and controlled in identically the manner disclosed 'in said last-named co-pending application, the mounting means for these Widening pick feed cams will be described briefly, since an improved needle lowering switch cam 175 is mounted, immediately below the righthand widening pick rfeed cam 172, for radial sliding movement relative to the needle cylinder in the same block in which the widening pick feed cam 172 is mounted (Figures 6 and 7). The blocks for supporting the widening pick feed cams 172, 173 are respectively designated at 176, 177 (Figure 4).

The blocks 176, 177 are suitably secured to the upper surface of the upper bed plate 111 and it will be noted (Figures 2 and 4) that the outer portions or stems of the Widening pick feed cams 172, 173 have respective abutments 180, 181 thereon and are urged outwardly by means, not shown in the present application, but being clearly shown in said co-pending, Serial No. 192,935 application, so the abutments 180, 181 thereon normally engage the outer ends of respective L-shaped dogs 182,

183 oscillatably mounted on opposite ends of a substantially V-shaped driven oscillatable arm 184. The L-shaped dogs 182, 183 are urged against the respective abutments 180, 181 or against stops 186, 187 by tension springs whichextend inwardly and whose proximal ends are suitably connected to a medial portion of the substantially V-shaped oscillatable arm 184.

The oscillatable arm 184 is mounted in a manner clearly described in any one of the three aforementioned co-pending applications, and is oscillatably driven at intervals controlled according to a predetermined patternv to alternately shift the widening pick feed cams 172, 173 into and out of operative position. Accordingly, a further detailed description of the means for imparting movement,

, t a 7 to the widening pick feed cams 172, 173 is deemed unnecessary. The manner in which the novel primary needle lowering cam 175 is controlled will be later described.

Disposed to the left and below the level of the left-hand needle leveling earn 154 in Figure 6 is a secondary needle lowering switch cam 190 shown as being disposed closely adjacent the secondary needle leveling cam 166 and the hardened earn 154 (Figures 4 and 6). However, it is to be understood that the secondary needle lowering cam 190 may be disposed at any desired location between the left-hand surface of the hardened cam 154- in Figure 6 and in advance of the vertical plane of the jack advancing cam 133, since this cam 190 functions during the feeding of elastic yarn to lower any of the needles directed thereto to prepare them for selection by the corresponding selector jacks 125. r i

The secondary needle lowering switch cam 190 serves in a manner similar to the cam 843 shown in Figure 80 of said copending application, Ser. No. 118,964 and may also be constructed and operated in a manner similar to said cam 843. However, in the present instance, it will be observed in Figure 4t'hat the secondary needle lowering switch cam 190 is fixed on the front end of an arm 191 pivoted on a post 192 fixed to and extending outwardly from the upper bed plate 111. A torsion spring 193 normally urges the cam 190 inwardlytoward the needle cylinder. A medial portion of the arm 191 has an outwardly projecting portion or rod 194 thereon to which the front end of a link 195 is pivotally connected. The rear end of link 195 slidably penetrates a bar 196 and has an abutment or nut 197 thereon which bears against the rear surface of the bar 196. It will be observed in Figures 1 and 4 that the bar 196 is oscillatably mounted on the upper end of a follower lever 200 whose lower portion is oscillatably mounted, as at 201, on. a fixed part of the machine and whose lower end bears against the main pattern drum 140 and is adapted to, at times, be engaged by a cam 202 fixed on the main pattern drum 140. His apparent that, whenever cam 202 engages the lower end of the follower lever 200, this moves the second needle lowering switch earn 190 outwardly to inoperative position.

Disposed beneath the right-hand needle leveling cam 165 (Figure 6) and immediately subsequent to the vertical plane of the high portion of the selector jack advancing earn 133 is an oblique switch cam 205 which is employed inlowering needles which have been projected upwardly to an intermediate level by the selector jack advancing earn 133 and corresponding jacks during the taking of the elastic yarn by the needles. The oblique switch carn 205 ,may be identical to and operated in substantially the same manner as the lower oblique switch cam 972 shown in Figure 80 of said co-pending application, Serial Number 118,964. Accordingly, a detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary. This completes the description of all of the needle controlling cams carried by the'upper bed plate or cam plate 111 and it should be noted that, while many of the needle cams shown in Figure 80 of said last-named co-pending application are omitted and are not required in the presentmaehine, all of the needle controlling camsshown in Figure 6 of the present drawings, with the exception of theprimary needle lowering "switch cam 175, the needle cam 165 and the secondary. needle lowering switch cam 190 may be ar ranged and' controlled in substantially the same manner as corresponding cams disclosed in said last-named copending application.

As heretofore stated, the primary needle lowering switch cam 175 is mounted for radial sliding movement in the block 176 and, as shown in Figures 4 and 7, the outer end or stem of the cam 175 has a downwardly projecting portion 208 .thereon and is normally urged outwardly by a spring 209, the spring 209 being disposed in a cavity 210 provided in the block 176 and its outer end bearing 8 against a guide rod 211 projecting inwardly from the abutment or projection 208. The outer end of the projection 208 bears against the upper portion of the substantially vertical arm of a bell crank 212 (Figures 2 and 4) and also normally bears against the inner end of an adjustment screw 213. i

The adjustment screw 213 is adjustably secured in the upper end of an arm 214 whose lower end is fixed to or integral with a crank 215 oscillatably mounted on a post 216 carried by the side deck 104. A follower arm 220 integral with crank arm 215 has a follower 221 on the free end thereof which bears against the periphery of the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142 and, at times, is engaged by suitable cams 222 (Figure 2), only one of which is shown, fixed on the periphery of the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142. It is apparent that, upon a cam 222 engaging the follower 221, the primary needle lowering switch cam 175 is moved into operative position.

At times, when the primary needle lowering switch cam 175 is notcontrolled by cams 222 on the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142, the primary needle lowering switch cam 175 is controlled by suitable cams 225 fixed on the periphery of the lower auxiliary pattern drum 143 (Figure 1). It will be'noted that the cams 225 are adapted to successively engage one of a plurality of follower arms 226 whose rear ends are pivoted, as at 227, on. the base 100. The free front end of that follower arm 226 which is adapted to be engaged by cams 225 has the lower end of a link 231 pivotally connected thereto (Figures 1 and 2) whose upper end is pivotally connected, as at 232, to the other arm of the bell crank 212. The bell crank 212 is oscillatably mounted as at 233 (Figure 2) on an angle clip 234 depending from the upper bed plate 111. I

At intervals during which the primary needle lowering switch cam 175 is controlled by cams 222, on the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142, the follower arm 226 corresponding to the cams 225 bears against the periphcry of the lower auxiliary pattern drum 143 as shown in Figure 1. On the other hand, at times when the primaryneedle lowering switch cam 175 is not controlled by cams 222 on the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142, one of the cams 225 (Figure 1) may engage the corresponding follower arm 226 to impart downward movement to the link'231 which will, in turn, move the upper arm of the bell crank 212 to, in turn, move the primary needle lower switch cam into operative position.

Pattern jack selector means The pattern jack selector means, including the selector drum or trick wheel 134 is generally of the type with which the Scott & Williams Model HH machine is equipped and of the type substantially as disclosed in a patent to Page et al., No. 1,906,204, the patent to Grothey, No. 2,050,946 and the patent to Haddad, No. 2,516,697. The selector mechanism of the present machine differs primarily from that of the selector mechanisms enerally in use in Scott & Williams Model HH machines and from the selector mechanisms disclosed in said last-named patents in the pattern controlled means for racking the selector drum as will be hereinafter described. I

The selector drum Or lower bed plate and is maintained thereagainst by trickwheel 134 is mounted in the t usual manner for rotation'on a post 240 (Figure 3) and an abutment shown in the form of an adjustment screw 245 adjustably secured in a Z -shaped bracket 246 which is fixedto the upper surface of the base portion, of a reader cam restrictor-supporting block 247, as by one of a pair of screws 250, the screws 250 serving to secure the reader cam restrictor-supportiug block or selector finger restrictor-supporting block 247 to the lower bed plate 105.

The end of the pawl-carrying arm 244 remote from pawl 243 is pivotally connected, as at 251, to a crank 252 integral with an upwardly projecting tubular member 253 journaled on a post 254. The upper end of the tubular member 253 has another crank 255'integral therewith to the free end of which a follower 256 is suitably secured, the follower 256 normally being urged inwardly toward the periphery of the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142 as by a tension spring 257. One end of tension spring 257 is connected to a spring anchor 260 projecting outwardly from a medial portion of the pawlcarrying arm 244 and the other end of spring 257 is connected to the lower bed plate 105.

It is apparent (Figure 3) that the spring 257 also serves to urge the pawl 243 toward the periphery of ratchet wheel 242 and further urges the ratchet pawl 243 from right to left in Figure 3. In order to determinethe length of each inactive stroke imparted to the ratchet pawl by the spring 257, an adjustable abutment or stop 261 is positioned immediately forwardly of the crank 252, the stop 261 being adjustably secured as at 262, to a bar 263 extending from and being suitably secured to the side deck 104. i

It is apparent that, whenever any one of a plurality of circularly arrange-d cams 265, carried by the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142, moves into engagement with the follower 256, this imparts a clockwise movement to the cranks 255, 252 and member 253 in Figure 3 to thereby impart an active stroke to the pawl 243 for racking the selector drum 134. Of course, as the high point of each successive cam 265 moves out of engagement with the pawl 256, the cranks 25 5, 252 and tubular member 253 move in a counterclockwise direction to where the crank 252 engages the stop 261 to thereby effect an inactive stroke to the pawl 243 for a predetermined distance to position the pawl 243 for racking one or more teeth, depending upon the position of the stop 261. It is thus seen that, since the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142 is moved intermittently according to a predetermined pattern, as is fully disclosed in said copending applications, Serial Niunbers 118,964 and 192,935, the selector drum 133 is consequently racked one or more teeth intermittently according to a predetermined pattern.

Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 6, there is provided a plurality of conventional selector fingers or reader fingers 267 oscillatably mounted on a post 270. finger is indicated at 267a. Each of the selector fingers 267, 26711 has a tail 271 adapted to read its own particular lever of the butts 241 on the selector drum 134. 'Of course, where the butts 241 have been broken off the bits of the selector drum 134, the tail 271 engages the. surface of the trick wheel or selector drum by virtue of a tension spring 272 on one end of each of the selector fingers. Each of the selector fingers 267, 267a has spaced ears 273, 274 thereon which straddle a conventional selector finger stop or restrictor 276 carried by the support 247 in the usual manner. The lower portion of restrictor 276-has an'auxiliary stop 277 thereon which is engageable only by the lowermost selector finger 267a so its inward or operative movement is limited as compared to that of the fingers 267 thereabove.

In order to insure engagement of the selector jacks 125 by selector fingers 267 or 267a, a cam member 280, which may be termed as a selector jack push-out cam, is positioned in advance of the selector fingers 26'7'as best shown in Figures 3 and 6. it will be noted that the push-out The lowermost cam 280 is disposed on the same level as the upper alining butts 126 on the selector jacks 125 (Figure 6) so that, when the cam 280 occupies inward or active position, the butt 126 of each successive selector jack 125 engages the cam 280 which causes the selector jacks to rock on the rocking point 135 to swing the lower end thereof outwardly to where any of those selector jacks 125 whose butts 130 are not engaged by selector fingers will engage and ride up the jack advancing cam 133 while the remaining selector jacks 125 will continue to move in a horizontal path past the jack advancing cam 133, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Now, the push-out cam 280 is conventional with the exception of novel means being provided for controlling the operation of the push-out cam 280. It will be observed in Figure 3 that the push-out cam 280 is pivotally mounted on the upper portion of the post 276 and the front end of an operating arm 281 is fixed to the rearwardly projecting portion of the cam 280 and has one end of an adjustable link 282 pivotally connected to the rear portion thereof. The other end of the link 282 is pivotally connected to a follower lever 283 pivoted, at 284, on the side deck 104 and whose reading end is normally urged into engagement with the periphery of the upper auxiliary pattern drum 142 or into engagement with a series of circularly arranged cams 285, only one of which is shown in Figure 3 on pattern drum 142, by means of a tension spring 286. It is apparent, by referring to Figure 3 that engagement of the follower lever 283 by any one of the cams 285 causes the pushout cam 280 to occupy the operative or inward position shown and upon each successive cam 285 moving out of engagement with follower lever 283, the tension spring 286 swings the push-out cam 280 outwardly to in operative position.

Arrangement of needle burrs Referring to Figure 5, it will be observed that the needles are divided into groups of short butt and long butt needles, the long butts being indicated at L and the short butts being indicated at S. Actually, the arrangement of the needles into long-butt and short-butt groups does not affect the patterning to any appreciable extent, the short-butt groups merely being provided to facilitate the movement of the various movable needle cams into operative position. it is well known that it is necessary for any of the movable cams to first engage the outer ends of relatively short butts as the needle cylinder moves in, say, a counterclockwise direction in Figure 5 so the corresponding needle cams may move further inwardly to fully operable position as the adjacent long-butt needles move into engagement therewith so that all' of those needles which may be positioned for engagement by any one or more of the movable needle cams will be raised or lowered thereby. For purposes of clarity in defining the method of operation of the present machine with respect to the knitting of a stocking such as that shown in Figures 8 and 9, the needles are divided into four groups, each in cluding an equal number of needles, the four groups being indicated at A to D, inclusive, in Figure 5.

Method of operation As heretofore stated, the method of operation will be given with respect to the knitting of a stocking such as that shown in Figure 8 and each of the stockings shown in Figures 8, 10 and 11, may be produced with the same patterning arrangement for the various knitting instrumentalities with the exception of variations in the yarn change. Al-

through the variations in yarn change may be eifected by 11 ornamental body portion E, a heel H, a foot G and a toe or toe pocket I. The toe I of each stocking shown in Figures 8, .10 and 11 is shown as being looped at the seam although it is well known that the looping of the toe is performed after the stocking is removed from the knitting machine.

In this instance, the knitting machine is equipped with six of the yarn feed fingers F, these yarn feed fingers being individually indicated at a to f, inclusive, in Figure 6 and the ornamental body portion E of the stocking SilLl'l/ll in Figure 8, which portion is shown diagrammatically in Figure 9, includes separately knit areas indicated at l to 14, inclusive, in Figure 9, the numerals 1 to 14 being arranged in the order in which the knitting of the various areas occurs. For purposes of description, his to be as sumed that, in knitting the stocking shown in Figures 8 and 9, a white yarn is fed to the needles by each of the yarn feed fingers a, c, d, a blue yarn is fed to the needles by each of the yarn feed fingers b, j, and a red yarn is fed to the needles by the yarn feed finger e as each of the yarn feed fingers in the group F is moved into operative position. Accordingly, in knitting the top T, the yarn feed finger a and the elastic yarn feed finger R each occupy lowered or operative position, as rotary movement is imparted. to the needle cylinder in a counterclockwise direction in Figures 3 and 5, in the course of which the needles N, theneedle jacks J and the selector jacks 125 move from right to left in Figure 6. At this time, the widening pick feed cams 172, 173 and the primary needle lowering cam 175 are withdrawn from operative position so that, as the needles cast off the stitches of the previously knit stocking, they pass through the stitch cams and are moved to their lowermost positions by the secondary needle lowering switch cam 190, this cam 190 and the elastic yarn cam or oblique earn 205 then occup yin operative position.

Now, as the needles and the jacks move from right to left in Figure 6, the lowermost selector finger 267a occupies inward or operative position, this position being limited by the auxiliary restricting member or angle clip 277 in Figure 3. Thus, since alternate selector jack 125 each has a butt thereon which registers with the selector finger 267a, it is thus seen that alternate jacks will be moved to intermediate position, The shoulder 131 on the alternate jacks 125 thus moved to intermediate posi tion will engage and ride up the earn 133 to raise the corresponding needles N to take the rubber yarn. Intervening jacks 125 between said alternate jacks will also have butts 130 engageable by certain of the selector fingers 267 to project the intervening jacks inwardly to their innermost position at the lower ends thereof so that neither of the shoulders 131 or 132 on said intervening jacks will ride up the cam 133. The intervening jacks 125 are not raised by the cam 133 so the corresponding needles N will not be raised high enough to take the elastic yarn from the elastic yarn feed finger R while the alternate needles will take the elastic yarn from the feed finger R, after which said alternate needles will be lowered by the oblique cam 205' and all of the needles will then pass through the stitch cams. This operation continues throughout the knitting of the top T, after which the elastic yarn feed finger R, the oblique earn 205 and the secondary needle lowering cam 190 are withdrawn to inoperative position. 7

After the top is knit, a few ring courses are knitted at the top of the ornamental portion E of the stocking shown in Figure 8 from the white yarn fed by the yarn feed finger a. During the knitting of these ring courses, all of the jacks 1.25 have butts 130 thereon which are engaged by corresponding selector fingers 267 so all of the selector jacks 125 are swung inwardly at their lower ends tomiss the cam 133 whereby all the needles N function in a conventional manner to pass through the stitch cam and to take the white yarn from the yarn feed finger a in the hooks thereof and draw stitches therewith. After knitting the ring courses in the top of the stocking shown in Figures 7 and 8, the inverted frusto-triangular or trapezoidal area 1 at the front of the stocking is knit. To this end, the needle cylinder 106 is shogged onehalf revolution so that subsequent reciprocatory movement thereof will cause the juncture of the two groups of needles A, B, to move equi-distant past the knittingstation (Figures 5 and 6).

During the knitting of the final course in the ring top of the start 1 shown in Figures Sand 9 and during the first shogging operation, that half of the selector jacks corresponding to the needles in groups C, D are not affected by the selector fingers 267 or 267a so these nonselected selector jacks 125 will remain in their fully outward positionto which they are projected by the push-out 23%. Thus, the needles in groups C, D, will be elevated as the shoulders 131 on the corresponding selector jacks 125 engage and ride up the jack advancing earn 133 so that only that half of the needles in groups A, B pass through the stitch cams along a path P-l (Figure 6) while the remaining half of the needles in groups C, D pass upwardly, engage the right-hand leveling cam and proceed along a path indicated at P-2 so they retain the previously formed loops thereon as the latche thereof pass above the active yarn feed finger a.

On the other hand, those needles in groups A, B whose butts pass through the stitch cams take the yarn from the yarn feed finger a to actually form the first course in the trapezoidal area 1 in Figures 8 and 9. As the lowered or active needles N in groups A, B move past the second needle lowering switch cam in Figure 6, this cam 190 is in withdrawnor inoperative position and the conventional cltch mechanism, not shown, then effects reciprocatory motion to the needle cylinder 106.

At substantially the same time that the secondary needle lowering switch cam 190 is withdrawn, the selector drum 134 is racked in the manner heretofore de scribed to cause all of the selector fingers 267 to move inwardly to operative position and to engage corresponding butts 130 on all of the selector jacks 125 so that all of these jacks will then move in a straight path throughout reciprocatory knitting during the knitting of the area 1 in Figures 8 and 9. Also, at this time, it is preferable that the push-out cam 280 is moved outwardly to inoperative position as the corresponding cam 285 (Figure 3) moves out of engagement with the follower lever 283.

In the present instance, throughout each narrowing operation of the stocking shown in Figures 8 and 9, the variable capacity narrowing picks 162 and 163 will have a capacity for lifting but a single needle out of action with each movement of the needle cylinder in the corresponding direction. It is thus seen that, with each movement of the needle cylinder in either direction, an additional needle N is raised up out of action to thereby gradually reduce the number of needles in action from course to course until approximately only one-fourth of the needles N remain in action in knitting the last course in the inverted trapezoidal area 1 in Figures 8 and 9.

It should be noted here that any desired number of needles N may remain in action in the knitting of the final or last course in the trapezoidal area 1. Now, in said co-pending applications, Serial Numbers 118,964 and 192,935, it has been necessary to narrow down to where there were only two or three needles remaining in action, since it was necessary to provide special butt arrangements at the junctures of groups of needles knitting various rectilinear areas. For purposes of description, it shall be assumed that approximately one-fourth of the needles N remain in action in the knitting of the last course in each of the trapezoidal areas, 1, 2, 5 and 6, although it should be distinctly understood that this number of needles may vary as desired.

In knitting the final or last course in the trapezoidal area 1 in Figures 8 and 9, the needle cylinder movesin a clockwise direction or, in other words, the needles and 13 jacks move from left to right in Figure 6. A second shogging operation then occurs which is efiected by the shogging mechanism 110, in a manner clearly shown and described in said last-named co-pending application, during the course of which the needle cylinder moves in a counterclockwise direction in Figures 3 and 5 for a dis tance of approximately one and one-half revolutions to so position the needle cylinder that the needle at the juncture of the groups C, D move equi-distant past the knitting station during subsequent reciprocatory knitting.

During said counterclockwise movement of the needle cylinder in the second shogging operation, the first or primary needle lowering switch cam 175 moves inwardly against the short butts S of any of those needles in group A which have been'elevated above the level of the stitch cams and then shifts into fully operative position as the next succeeding long butt needles in the group B pass thereby to subsequently lower any needles whose butts are engaged thereby to an intermediate position such as is indicated by the path P-3 in Figure 6. However, at the end of the clockwise movement of the needle cylinder in which the last course was knit in the area 1 (Figures 8 and 9) the push-out cam 280 moves inwardly to operative position as thetrick wheel or selector drum 134 is racked to condition the selector fingers 267 so that none of them are engaged by butts 130 on the selector jacks 125 and so that all those needles N which were previously in lowered or active position, as well as those which are lowered by the cam 175 to the intermediate position, are again shifted upwardly as the shoulder 131 on each of the selector jacks 125 engages and rides up'the jack advancing earn 133. This'causes the butts of all the needles N to move along the path P-2 in Figure 6.

However, upon completion of a revolution of the needle cylinder during said shogging operation, the selector drum or trick wheel 134 is again racked to condition selector fingers 267 for engaging corresponding butts 130 on those jacks'125 corresponding to the needles in groups C, D so that, during the half revolution following the first revolution in the course of the shogging operation, the butts of the needles in group C, D are again lowered by the primary needle lowering cam'175 to the intermediate position and, since the corresponding selector jacks 125 are then disposed inwardly of the jack advancing cam 133, the butts of the needles N in groups C, D will remain at the intermediate level and will thus pass through the stitch cams, along the path P-l, to take the yarn a in the hooks thereof and to draw stitches therewith. This forms a first course in the second trapezoidal area 2 at the rear of the stocking.

The selector drum or trick wheel 134 is again racked at this time to cause all the selector fingers 267 to engage butts 130 on the selector jacks 125 and the push-out cam 280 is again withdrawn from operative position so the lower portions of the selector jacks 125 will remain inward and will miss the jack advancing cam 133. Also, at this time, the first or primary needle lowering earn 175 is withdrawn from operative position so the number of needles in action is reduced from course to course in a narrowing operation in the same manner as that in which the narrowing occurred in the knitting of the area 1 in Figures 8 and,9.

The narrowing of the fabric in area 2 continues until approximately one-fourth of the needles in the proximal portions of the groups C, D remain in action after which a third shogging operation occurs to position the needles at the juncture of groups A, D to where they will move equidistant past the knitting station during subsequent reciprocatory knitting and preparatory to knitting the triangularly-shaped area 3 between areas 1 and 2.

The last course in knitting the area 2 is performed as the needle cylinder moves in a clockwise direction or as needles and jacks move left to right in Figure 6. During the third shogging operation; the needle cylinder moves ,a complete revolution in a counterclockwise direction in Figures 3 and 5 and then moves an additional one-fourth of a revolution, this movement being effected by the shogging means 119 in the manner. disclosed in said copending applications Ser. No. 118,964 and Ser. No. 192,935.

During this third shogging operation the yarn feeding finger a is raised to inoperative position to discontinue knitting with the white yarn and the yarn feeding finger b is lowered to operative position to feed a blue yarn to the active or lowered needles N which pass thereby. Here again the selector drum or trick wheel 134 is racked another step as the primary needle lowering switch cam 175 and the push-out cam 280 are moved into operative position. During this first counterclockwise revolution of the needle cylinder in the third shogging operation, all of the selector fingers 267 are withdrawn from operative position or, at least, none of the butts are engaged by selector fingers 267 and, consequently, all of the needles are elevated to where their butts pass above the stitch cams along the path P-2.

However, before the subsequent one-fourth of a revolution is imparted to the needle cylinder in a counterclockwise direction in Figures 3 and 5 in the course of said third shogging operation, butts 130 on those selector jacks 125 corresponding to at least two of the needles at the junctures of the groups A, D are engaged by corresponding selector fingers 267, as the selector drum 133 is again racked another step, so that, as said two needles at the junctures of the groups A, D are lowered by the primary needle lowering cam 175, they continue to move in a horizontal plane as they move past the lower edge of the primary needle lowering cam so that stitches are drawn with these two needles as they knit the yarn from the then active yarn feed finger b and draw stitches therei with. This forms the first course in the blue area 3 in Figures 8 and 9.

As the needles reach the end of their stroke as effected during said one and one-fourth revolution of the needle cylinder in the third shogging operation, the primary needle lowering switch cam 175 and the push-out earn 280 are again withdrawn from operative position. Reciprocatory movement of the needle cylinder 106 is then ejected and, before the subsequent clockwise movement of the needle cylinder, in other words, before subsequent movement of the needles and jacks from left to right in Figure 6, the left-hand widening pick feed cam 173 is moved into operative position by conventional means as disclosed in said last-named co-pending applications as movement is effected to the oscillatable arm 184 in Figure 4.

' Referring to Figure 5, it is preferable that theleft-hand widening pick feed earn 173 is moved inwardly as the long butt needles in group A move thereby so that, as the butts of .the two needles at the juncture of groups A, D move past the cam 173, the cam 173 will drop into fully operative position, since the latter needles will have occupied a lowered position below the level of the cam 173. Thereafter, the cam 173 lowers all of the short butt needles in group D, or a substantial number of the needles in group D, and the leading two of'the needles lowered by the left-hand widening pick feed cam 173 will engage and be lowered to operative position by the left-hand widening pick 171. The remaining raised needles will merely pass beneath the cam 173 and rid up the left-hand needle leveling cam 166 to pass above the stitch cams. On the other hand, those two needles which have been lowered by the left-hand widening pick 173 will pass beneath the leveling cam 166 and the leading one of the then lowered needles will then be picked up by the left-hand narrowing pick 163 and the remaining lowered needles will pass through the stitch cards as they take the yarn from the yarn feed fingers b to draw stitches therewith.

With subsequent counterclockwise movement of the needle cylinder; that is, with movement of. the needles and jacks from right to left in Figure 6, the right-hand 15 widening pick feed cam 172 moves into operative position, preferably at the point at which the short butt needles in group D are disposed to thnslower at least some of the long butt needles in group A and the leading two needles lowered by the right-hand widening pick feed cam 172 are lowered to operative position by the right-hand widening pick 170. The leading one of the then lowered needles is then picked up by the right-hand narrowing pick 162 and the rest of the lowered needles take the yarn from the yarn feed finger b and as they pass through the stitch cams to draw stitches therewith. Of course, all the remaining previously raised needles willremain in raised position and pass above the stitch cams along the pathway P-Z in Figure 6.

The length of each successive course is then increased in the widening operation as last described until approximatelyone-fourth of the needles are rendered active to complete the knitting of the area 3 in Figure 8. Upon completion of knitting in the area 3 in Figures 8 and 9, duringjwhich the needle cylinder moves in a clockwise direction and in which the needles and jacks move from left to rightin Figure 6,, a fourth shogging operation occurs wherein the primary needle lowering switch cam 175 is again moved into operative position along with the push-out cam 280, as the trick wheel 134 is again racked so that the butts of all the needles N are again caused to move along the pathway P2 above the stitch cams in Figure 6 during the first counterclockwise revolution imparted to the needle cylinder during the fourth shogging operation. a revolution at substantially the time of the completion of the first revolution during the course of the fourth shogging operation. 1

The two needles at the juncture of the groups B, C in Figure are caused to pass through the, stitch cams during the subsequent one-half revolution of the needle cylinder because of the selector'drum or trick wheel 134 being racked another step so the latter two needles are caused to function in the same manner as that described for the two needles at the junctures of the areas A, D in knitting the area 3 in Figures 8 and 9. Upon the completion of the'fourth shogging operation, cams 175 and 280 are again withdrawn from operative position and -widening then occurs'inthe knitting of the area 4 in exactly the manner in which it occurred in knitting the area 3.

Upon the completion of the knitting of the area 4, 1n which the needle cylinder again moves in a clockwise direction and in which the needles and jacks move from left to right in Figure 6, another or fifth shoggingoperation is effected in which the needle cylinder moves 'a complete revolution and then moves an additional threequarters of a revolution. The selector drum 134 is again racked and the cams 175, 280 are again moved into operative position'to cause all the needles'to again pass,

above the stitch cams during the first revolution imparted to the needle cylinder in a counterclockwise direction. During the last three-quarters of a revolution in the fifth shogging operation, butts .130 on those jacks below the needles in groups A, B are engaged by selector fingers 267 to cause half of theneedles, which are the needles in groups A, B to remain in lowered position as'the'reinaining'half of the needles C, Dpass above the stitch cams to thereby knit the first course in the trapezoidal area 5 in Figures 8 and 9.

Of course, before the needles A, B are passed through the stitch cams, and during the fifth shogging operation, the yarn feed fingers will have changed positions so the yarn feed finger c then occupies operative position while the remaining yarn feed fingers a through 1 are in elevated position so a white yarn is again fed to the needles as they pass through the stitch cams. The trapezoidal area 5 is knit by narrowing in exactly the manner described with respect to the knitting of the area 1 and a The needle cylinder then moves another half detailed description of the manner in which the various needle cams function at this time is deemed unnecessary.

A sixth shogging operation then occurs preparatory to knitting the trapezoidal area and wherein the needle cylinder is shogged one and one-half revolutions to again position the needles at the juncture of groups C, D to move equi-distant past the stitch cams during subsequent reciprocatory knitting. Area 6 is then knit in exactly the manner in which the trapezoidal area 2 was knit. During thissixth shogging operation the yarn feeding finger c feeding a white yarn is raised to inoperative position and the yarn feeding finger d also feeding a White yarn is lowered to operative position.

After narrowing down to where approximately oneiourth of the needles remain in action in the knitting of the last course in the trapezoidal area 6 in Figures 8 and 9, and during which the needle cylinder moves in a clockwise direction and the needles and jacks move from left to rightin Figure 6, the needle cylinder 106 is again shogged one and one-fourth revolutions to knit an area 7 and the position of the yarn feed fingers is changed to cause the yarn feed finger eto occupy operative position for feeding a red yarn to any of those needles which pass through the stitch cams. In all other respects, the knitting of the upper portion of the area 7 in Figure 9 is carried out in exactly the same manner as the widening operation in knitting the area 3. Upon the completion of knitting the course at the widest portion of the area 7, in whichapproximately one-fourth of the needles in the needle cylinder are then active, oscillation of the arm 184 (Figure 4-) then ceases so that both of the widening pick feed cams 172, 173 are rendered inactive and whereupon subsequent courses are narrowed as the number of needles in action are decreased from course to course by the narrowing picks 162, 163 in the knitting of the lower half of the area 7 in exactly the manner in which the narrowing occurred in the knitting of the trapezoidal areas 1, 2, 5 and 6.

However, the last course in knitting the area 7 includes only two stitches,for example, in which the two needles at the juncture of groups A, B remain in action. The last course in the area 7 is knit as the needles and jacks movefrom left to rightin Figure 6, whereupon an eighth shogging operation occurs in which the needle cylinder again moves one revolution and then moves an additional one-half revolution. During the eighth shogging operation, the cams 175, 280 are againmoved into operative I position and the selector drum 134 is racked to cause all of the needles to be raised to where their butts move along the path P-2 to retain the loops of the previously formed courses on the elevated needles. During the last half revolution in the eighth shogging operation of the needle cylinder, the two needles at the juncture of groups B, C are again caused to pass through the stitch cams as the remaining needles pass above the stitch cams, this function of the needles being effected in exactly the same manner in which the function of these needles was effected in the fourth shogging operation.

Of course, the yarn feed finger e remains in lowered or operative position during the knitting of the diamondshaped area 8 in Figures 8 and 9. The knitting of the diamond-shaped area 8 is then carried outin exactly the manner in which the area 7 was knit and a detailed de scription of the function of the various knitting instrumentalities in the knitting of the area 8 is thus deemed unnecessary.

Upon the last course being knit in the area 8,'with movement of the needles and jacks from left to right in Figure 6, the needle cylinder is again shogged one and three-quarter revolutions to position .the juncture of the groups of needles A, B for movement equi-distant past the stitch cams in which the needles which remained active in the last course in the knitting of the trapezoidal area. 5 are again rendered active to pass through the stitch cams to knit the first course of area 9. Of course,

l 7 during the interim of the ninth shogging operation of the needle cylinder, the yarn feed finger e is raised to inoperative position as the yarn feed finger d is lowered to operative position so the white yarn is then taken by the latter active needles in knitting the first course in the area 9 in Figures 8 and 9. Widening then occurs in the knitting of the area 9 in exactly the manner described with respect to the knitting of the upper portions of the areas 7 and 8 in Figures 8 and 9 until approximately one-half of the needles (all of the needles in group A, B) will be rendered active in knitting the last course in the area 9 as the needles move in a clockwise directionin Figures 3 and 5.

A tenth shagging operation is then effected in which the needle cylinder moves one and one-half revolutions in a step-by-step manner in a counterclockwise direction in Figures 3 and to position the juncture of the groups p of needles C, D to where they will subsequently move equi-distant past the needle'cylinderduring'reciprocatory knitting of area 10. Although the yarn feed finger d may remain in operation during the knitting of the area 10, in thisinstance, the yarn feed finger d is raised to inoperative position as the yarn feed finger 0, also feeding a white yarn, is moved into operative position and approximately one-fourth of the needles at the 'juncture of the "groups of needles C, D are brought into'action in knitting the first coursein the area 10. It is deemed unnecessary to go into detail as to the function of the various knitting instrumentalities during all of the shogging operations sincethe action of the various knitting instrumentalities is substantially the same between the knitting of adjacent areas or succeeding areas.

Widening then occurs-in theknitting' of the area 10 in exactly the same manner as that described withrespect to the knitting of the upper portion of the area 7 until approximately one-half of the needles (all of the needles in groups C,D) are again brought into action. As the last course in the area 10 is knit with clockwise movement of the needle cylinder in Figures 3 and 5 and with movement of the needles and jacks from left to right in Figure 6, an eleventh shogging operationis then effected in which .approximatelyone-fourth of the needles are rendered active in the manner heretofore described, this one-fourth of the needles being those at the junctures of the groups A, D in Figure. 5. Narrowing then occurs in the knitting of the area 11 in exactly the manner described in the knitting of the areas 1, 2, 5, 6 and the lower. halves of the areas 7, 8. However, it is apparent that a yarn change occurs during the eleventh shogging operation and, in this instance, the yarn feed finger c is raised to. inoperative position as the yarn feed finger f is lowered to operative position to feedrablue yarn to any active needles.

A twelfth shogging operation then occurs in which the needle cylinder is shoggedone and one-half revolutions and the area 12 is then knit in exactly themanner in which the area, 11 was knit. Thereafter, thirteenth and fourteenth shogging operations occur in which the respective trapezoidalareas l3, 14 are knit in identically the manner described with respect to the knitting of the areas-9, 10. In the knitting of areas 13, 14-, the .yarn feed finger 1 will have been raised to inoperative position and the yarn feed finger a will have been lowered to operative position to thus feed a white yarn to any needles rendered active during the knitting of the areas 13, 14.

During the last counterclockwise course being knit in the area 14, in which approximately one-half of the needles, including those needles in groups C, D, are active, the needle lowering cam. 175 is moved into operative position to cause all the needles in the needle cylinder to pass through the stitch cams. Also, during knitting of this last counterclockwise course in area 14 the conventional clutch mechanisms operate to elfect rotary motion to the needle cylinder. Thus, all the needles pass through the stitch cams with subsequent rotary motion of the needle cylinder. Of course, after the first ring heel course has been knit following the knitting of the ornamental area 18 or leg E in Figures 7 and 8, the push-out earn 280 is withdrawn to inoperative position so the selector fingers 267 need not be relied upon to cause the continued movement of the needles N through the stitch cams in the knitting of the ring heel courses.

After the ring heel courses are knit below the ornamental portion E of the stocking shown in Figure 8, onehalf or more of the needles, including the needles in groups'A, B are elevated to inoperative position in the manner heretofore described to where their butts will pass above the stitch cams along the pathway P-2. The knitting machine then goes into reciprocatory knitting in a conventional manner to decrease the number of needles in action (groups C, D) from course to course in a narrowing operation in the knitting of the upper portion of the heel pocket H as heretofore described. When approximately one-fourth of the needles at the junctures of groups C, D remain inaction, a widening operation takes place in the manner heretofore described to widen in the knitting of the heel pocket H until substantially half of the needles (groups C, D) are again active. 7 Thereafter, all the needles are again brought into action as rotary knitting is resumed in theknitting of the circular courses of the foot G. The toe pocket I is then knit in exactly the manner in which the heel'pocket H was knit, after which the usual loopers rounds are formed by rotary knitting to thus complete the knitting of the stocking shown in Figure 8.

The stockings shown in Figures 10 and 11 are knit in substantially the same manner as that described with respect to the stocking shown in Figures 8 and 9, with the exception of the color or kind of yarn passing through each of the yarn feed fingers F. In the knitting of the stocking shown in Figure 10, the yarn feed finger a still guides 21 white yarn as it does in the knitting of the stocking shown in Figure 8. The yarn feed finger b still guides a blue yarn, the yarn feed finger 1 still guides a the stocking shown in Figure 10 (the areas 3, 7 and 11 being on the opposite side of the stocking from that shown in Figure 10) with corresponding areas of the stocking shown in Figures 8 and 9, it is apparent how the changes in the yarns fed by the yarn feed fingers c, d will effect the contrasting appearance in the stocking shown in Figure 10 as compared to that-shown in Figure 8.

The stocking shown in Figure 11 is also knit in the same manner in which the stocking shown in Figures 8 and 9 is knit with the exception of changes in the color or kind of yarn fed to active needles by certain of the yarn feed fingers in the group F. In knitting the stocking shown in Figure 11, the yarn feed fingers a, b, e, 1 still guide the same color or kind of yarn to the active needles as they did in knitting the stocking shown in Figure 10, this being white yarn. However, in order to produce the contrasting appearance in the stocking shown in Figure 11 as compared to that shown in Figure 8, the yarn feed fingers c, d each feeds or guides a blue yarn to active needles whenever they are in operative position. A comparison of the areas 1 to l4,'inclusive, is

Figure 11, with the exception of areas 3, 7 and 11, which the yarns which pass through certain of the yarn feed fingers. However, it is apparent that many other different typesyof patterns may be produced by varying the patterning on the selector drum 134 and. the pattern arrangement of the butts 130 on the selector jacks 125 and by varying the intervals in which the various movable needle camsmove into and out of operative position as well as the intervals in which various shogging operations will occur. Also, since variable capacity narrowing picks are disclosed in, and their function is clearly set forth in, said co-pending'application, Serial Number 477,977, it is apparent that the shape and size ofvarious patches produced in the design areas of stockings is practically unlimited. However, the shape of adjacent areas is limited to the extent that opposed sides of adjacent areas must extend at an angle to the wales being knit.

It is thus seen that Lhave provided a circular knitting machine of the type having means for shogging the needle cylinder in varying increments for selectively presenting the centers of selected groups of needles to the i knitting zone, in combination with means for selectively controlling the action of individual needles so that any desired number of needles and any selected group of needles or any selected single needle may be brought into action at the beginning of knitting eachgarea whose opposite sides will extend at any angle to the wales and courses being knit and so that any desired number of needles may remain in action in the knitting of the last course in any desired area and, also, wherein the needles are controlled so that inactive needles may retain the stitches thereon while knitting with other of the needles.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms have been employed they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder and needles, means for feeding yarns to said needles, and means for imparting reciprocatory and rotary motion to the needle cylinder, the combination of means to selectively elevate individual needles in any predetermined order so a fractional part of a course may be knitted by the non-elevated needles upon each of a plurality of strokes of the needle cylinder during reciprocatory movement thereof, means for shogging the needle cylinder for the knitting of an additional fractional part of a course in the coursewise plane of each of the previously knit fractional parts of courses, means to elevate selected needles including terminal needles in each fractional part of a course to retain their loops so that terminal loops of each fractional part of a course may be interknit with terminal loops of another fractional part of a course to form a suture therebetween.

2. The combination with a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder provided with a plurality of vertically movable needles, a knitting station, a selector jack beneath needle means for imparting reciprocatingmotion, to the needle cylinder, a selector mechanism in cluding a pattern controlled selector drum and selector fingers controlled by the patterning on the selector drum for operating upon butts of selector jacks, of pattern controlled means for successively shogging the needle cylinder varying amounts to cause the center of a predeterminedgroup constituting a portion of the needles in the needle cylinder to move equi-distant past the knitting station during reciprocatory motion of the'needle cylinder and for shogging the needle cylinder so as to cause the centers .of succeeding groups of the needles constituting portionsof the needles to move equi-distant past the knittingstation,

3; The combination with a knitting machine of the character having a single feedingstation, a plurality of yarn feed fingers, a needle cylinder provided with a plurality of needles, a selector jack under each needle, in .dividual pattern controlled means for operating upon said jacks to render the corresponding needles inactive and active as the case may be, and means for imparting circular and reciprocatory motion to the needle cylinder; means for feeding yarn to a group of needles while the cylinder is engaged in reciprocatory knitting and means for successively shogging the cylinder varying parts of a revolution to present other groups of needles to the feeding station independently of each other to receive and knit different yarns.

4. The combination of a circular knitting machine having .a needle cylinder provided with a plurality of vertically movable needles, a selector jack beneath each needle, means for imparting reciprocatory motion to the needle cylinder, a selector mechanism including a pattern controlled selector drum and selector fingers controlled by the patterning on the selector drum for operating upon butts of the selector jacks, means for successively shogging the needle cylinder varying amounts to cause the center of a predetermined group constituting a portion of the needles in the needle cylinder to move equi-distant past the knitting station during reciprocatory motion of the needle cylinder and for shogging the needle cylinder so as to cause the centers of succeeding groups of the needles constituting other portions of the needles to move equi-distant past the knitting station, and means for elevating terminal needles in knitting each of certain courses to cause their loops to be retained thereon.

5. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder provided with a plurality of vertically movable needles, a selector jack positioned beneath each needle, a selector mechanism including fingers operable upon the selector jacks for selecting the function of individual needles,knitting cams and a plurality of yarn feed fingers adjacent the knitting cams; the combination therewith of means for shogging the needle cylinder so as to present a [for again shogging the needle cylinder to present an additional group of needles adjacent the yarn feed fingers, control means for causing needles to knit in reciprocatory knitting a second section of fabric and to interknit the courses of the second section of the fabric with endmost loops of the first'section of the fabric.

6. An improvement in a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a plurality of vertically movable needles in the cylinder, a selector jack beneath each needle and a pattern mechanism for rendering selector jacks operable to cause corresponding needles to remain active and to cause other needles to remain inactive, knitting cams and a plurality of yarn feed fingers disposed in a single group adjacent the knitting earns, the improvement comprising the combination of the aforesaid structure with means for shogging the needle cylinder so as to present a given group of needles to the yarn feed fingers, means for imparting reciprocating movement to the needle cylinder for knitting by reciprocatory knitting on a selected group of needles and at the same time retaining on endmost needles of the courses being knit loops formed thereby, means controlling the shogging means for again shogging the needle cylinder to present an additional group of needles adjacent the yarn feed fingers,

control means for causing needles to knit in reciprocatory knitting a second section of fabric and to interknit courses 21 motion and reciprocatory motion to the cylinder; the combination of means to shog the cylinder to present a given segment of needles for reciprocatory knitting adjacent the yarn feed fingers for receiving a yarn, means to selectively render inoperative a substantial number of adjacent needles while selectively rendering operative a segment of needles including any predetermined number of needles, means for varying the number of active needles during reciprocatory knitting to knit a segment of fabric extending for a lesser distance than the entire circle of needles, means controlling needles to retain endmost loops on the courses knit in a segment of fabric, control means operating the shogging means to shog the cylinder to present another segment of needles to the yarn feed fingers, the motion imparting means then imparting reciprocatory motion to the needle cylinder for the knitting of a second segment of fabric while casting off endmost loops on the needles at one edge of the first segment of fabric and interknitting them with loops on ends of the courses in the second segment of fabric.

8. In a knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a knitting station, a plurality of vertically movable needles therein, a selector jack beneath each of the needles, means for feeding yarn to a single point on the needle circle, selector means cooperating with said selector jack to render active any predetermined number of needles in a section of needles, means for causing reciprocation of the needle cylinder, means for raising at least one marginal needle knitting in each partial course to inoperative position to retain the loops thereon until all but a predetermined number of the needles arein inoperative position, means for shogging the cylinder to place another section of the needles in knitting position for reciprocatory knitting, means for lowering all of the raised inoperative needles to knitting level, said selector mechanism being operable upon certain selector jacks for maintaining a predetermined number of said last-lowered needles at the operating level, the remaining selector jacks being ope.- able to raise the corresponding needles to inoperative position to again retain roops on the last-mentioned inoperative needles, means independent of the selector mechanism and the jacks for lowering at least one marginal needle to operative position on each movement of the cylinder in either direction until a predetermined number of needles have been lowered to operative position, and the marginal needle raising means being operable independently of the selector mechanism and the selector jacks for raising at least one needle'to inoperative position upon each of other movements of the cylinder in either direction until all but a predetermined number of the needles have been raised to inoperative position.

9. In a circular knitting machine having a knitting station comprising stitch cams, a needle cylinder provided with needles and a selector jack beneath each needle, a selector mechanism operable to select jacks in accordance with a predetermined pattern so that needles on the operative level draw stitches as they move past the knitting station, said machine also having means for feeding yarn to the needles and means for reciprocating the needle cylinder for the knitting of a section of fabric by reciprocatory knitting; the combination therewith of means independent of the selector mechanism and the selector jacks for rendering inoperative marginal needles of a first segment of needles dun'ng reciprocatory knitting but retaining marginal loops thereon, means for shogging the cylinder to present a second segment of needles to the knitting station and feeding to the second segment a different yarn from the yarn fed to the first segment to knit a second section of fabric, means controlling the shogging means for again shogging the needle cylinder for knitting a section of fabric between the two previously knit sections from another yarn while uniting terminal loops of the previously knit sections with the last-named knit section from course to course as the last-named section is knit.

. length of courses in each section of the fabric.

11. A structure according to claim 9 including means operable independently of the selector mechanism and the selector jacks for increasing and decreasing the number of active needles during the knitting of any of said sections to vary the length of courses in each section of the fabric.

12. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder provided with a plurality of vertically movable needles and corresponding selector jacks therein, means for imparting rotary or oscillatory movement to the needle cylinder, butts on the needles, butts on at least some of the selector jacks and pattern controlled selector fingers for operating upon butts on said selector jacks, said machine also having a knitting station including set of stitch cams, yarn feeding means spaced above the stitch cams, and means for elevating non-selected selector jacks to raise the corresponding needles to pass the butts thereof above the stitch cams whereby selected selector jacks will cause the corresponding needles to pass through the stitch cams and form stitches therewith; the combination of means to shog the needle cylinder at predetermined intervals to present the central portions of successive groups of needles for movement equi-distant past the knitting station during intervening reciprocatory movements of the needle cylinder, pattern controlled cam means for lowering all of those needles whose butts are elevated above the level of the stitch cams during each shogging operation of the needle cylinder whereby all subsequently non-selected needles are again elevated above the level of the stitch cams and selected selector jacks will cause the corresponding needles to pass through the stitch cams.

13. In a structure according to claim 12, means for at times decreasing the number of needles in action from course to course in the intervals between preceding and succeeding shogging operations of the needle cylinder and means for at other times increasing the number of active needles from course to course at other intervals between preceding and succeeding shogging operations of the needle cylinder.

14. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder with independently vertically movable needles, a plurality of yarn feed fingers, means for transmitting rotary and reciprocatory motion to the needle cylinder, selector jacks positioned beneath said needles, and a selector mechanism for operating upon certain of the selector jacks according to a predetermined pattern for rendering certain needles active and for rendering other needles inactive; the combination therewith of means for shogging the needle cylinder a predetermined amount so as to present a portion, but not all, of the needles to the yarn feed fingers during reciprocatory motion, the portion of the needles being presented to the yarn feed fingers moving equi-distant on each side of the yarn feed fingers, means for elevating non-selected terminal needles in a given course during reciprocatory knitting to' retain loops thereon, means controlling the shogging means to shog the cylinder another step to present at least some additional new needles to a position to cause them to pass by the yarn feed fingers, means for withdrawing the yarn employed in knitting with. the firstnamed portion of needles, and means for presenting a yarn feed finger to the additional new needles including terminal needles whereby courses knitted by the additional needles are knitted to the fabric knitted by the first named portion of needles. I

15. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder provided with a plurality of needles and a feeding station having a plurality of yarn feed fingers for feeding yarn to the needles, the needles invthe needle cylinder being divided into substantially four quadrants; the combination of means for imparting reciprocatory 23 motion to the needle cylinder, means for selectively positioning the needle cylinder so needles at the juncture of adjacentquadrants move equi-distant past the feeding station during reciprocatory knitting, means for elevating all the needles in the cylinder to inoperative position; means for selectively lowering a predetermined number of needles at either side of the juncture of two quadrants at the beginning of reciprocatory knitting to knit yarn thereon, means for elevating at least one additional needle with each movement of the cylinder in each direction to retain theloops thereon throughout the knitting of a plurality of partial courses of a first portion of fabric, means to shog the cylinder to present to the feeding station an additional quadrant, and means to lower at least one additional needle into action With each movement of the cylinder in each "direction so that needles of the new quadrant will be called into action while needles of one of said two quadrants will be called into action to knit another portion of fabric and to interknit terminal loops of the portion first knitted with the new portion of fabric being knitted.

10 References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 2,527,534 Ellis Oct. 31, 1950 2,719,417 St. Pierre et a1. Oct. 4, 1955 

